BOOK REVIEW: Star Wars: Kenobi (repost)

Apologies for the dearth of posts, political science here on Earth is taking more of my time recently. I did want to post a reminder that Star Wars: Kenobi officially comes out this Tuesday, August 27. While I read it a few weeks ago, I definitely plan on picking up the audiobook. In the meantime, I thought I'd repost my original review. Enjoy!

P.S. - Razor's Edge review is coming soon...

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Ever wonder what would happen if George Lucas and Joss Whedon combined forces to make a Star Wars—Firefly crossover?

Apparently, John Jackson Miller (JJM) did because Star Wars: Kenobi is a bona fide Star Wars Western novel. Del Rey Publishing has been taking the Star Wars franchise into new genres in recent years, from horror (Red Harvest) to detective stories (Shadow Games). Kenobi is probably one of the better results of this effort. It certainly reads unlike any other Star Wars book in recent memory. So, does it live up to the hype? Will this transform our image of Obi-Wan Kenobi the way Plagueis transformed our image of Sidious? Find out below:

Tell or Show?

io9 has an article claiming that A New Hope engages in better world-building than The Phantom Menace. While it does get into some of the usual Prequel-bashing, it does raise a serious question. In the Original Trilogy, we never saw the halls of political power on-camera. They were always off-camera and related by third parties, such as when Tarkin infamously tells the Death Star Committee* that the Emperor had disbanded the Senate. By contrast, with the Prequels, we see the Galactic Senate and we see major events transpire in the Senate, such as when Palpatine introduces the New Order.

Typically, English professors will generally advise that artists and authors should "show, not tell" important events. However, many Star Wars fans feel that the Senate scenes are amongst the weakest in the Prequels. So what's wrong with showing in this case?

BOOK REVIEW: Star Wars: Crucible

I've had the privilege of receiving advance reading copies of several upcoming Star Wars novels and permission to share my thoughts with readers. Over the next few weeks, I will be posting exclusive reviews on Poli-Sci Jedi. Feel free to share, but if you do so please cite Poli-Sci Jedi as the source.

This first review is about Star Wars Crucible, due to be released on July 9. Enjoy!

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Crucible is a hard book for me to rate. I’m not the biggest fan of Troy Denning’s Star Wars books. There’s a lot to this book that I didn’t like. However, there is an excellent payoff at the end so I definitely recommend reading it. I will try to keep this review spoiler-free, but with the recognition that I can’t properly explain exactly what I liked about the book without at least mentioning the ending.

BOOK REVIEW: Star Wars: Kenobi

I've had the privilege of receiving advance reading copies of several upcoming Star Wars novels and permission to share my thoughts with readers. Over the next few weeks, I will be posting exclusive reviews on Poli-Sci Jedi. Feel free to share, but if you do so please cite Poli-Sci Jedi as the source.

This first review is about Star Wars: Kenobi, due to be released on August 27. I promise that at least one upcoming review will focus on a very important Star Wars politician. Enjoy!

* * * * * 

Ever wonder what would happen if George Lucas and Joss Whedon combined forces to make a Star Wars—Firefly crossover?

Apparently, John Jackson Miller (JJM) did because Star Wars: Kenobi is a bona fide Star Wars Western novel. Del Rey Publishing has been taking the Star Wars franchise into new genres in recent years, from horror (Red Harvest) to detective stories (Shadow Games). Kenobi is probably one of the better results of this effort. It certainly reads unlike any other Star Wars book in recent memory. So, does it live up to the hype? Will this transform our image of Obi-Wan Kenobi the way Plagueis transformed our image of Sidious? Find out below:

Attachment is not so much forbidden

Don't do it, Ani, marriage is evil!

George Lucas has removed himself from the ranks of the Jedi bachelorhood. As we all know, Jedi are forbidden from attachments. Attachments lead to things like fear, anger, hate, and suffering. And Darth Vader.

Fortunately, when George Lucas got married to Mellody Hobson this past weekend, he looked like anyone but Vader. Frankly, he looked happier than he has in a long time. And that calls for congratulations!

(for those of you interested in the wedding gossip and photos, check out this Huffington Post article)

So, George Lucas' recent marriage made me wonder if or to what extent The Maker's personal life influenced his art. Some speculate that George Lucas' divorce from Marcia Lucas made him pessimistic about love and marriage, even to the point that love and marriage were the driving force behind Anakin's downfall. We do know that the divorce was a traumatic experience for him and it's not hard to imagine that George Lucas the artist drew upon the pain he felt in real life to breath more life into his characters. 

Star Wars Rebels - a new hope for politics in Star Wars?

Will we be seeing more of this guy?

OK, I'm late to the party on this one, but as you've probably heard Disney and Lucasfilm have announced a new animated Star Wars series called Rebels, based in the years before Episode IV. For fans craving their Star Wars fix, this could be a godsend. However, the series also has the potential to do some interesting things with the Rebellion as well.

The Prequels were notably for introducing moral ambiguity into Star Wars politics. We saw the Old Republic as a rotted political system riddled with corruption and unable to keep the peace. To paraphrase Padmé, many applauded the death of democracy.

Where will Poli-Sci Jedi go from here?

Poli-Sci Jedi is going to go on vacation for a few weeks as final papers start rolling in. However, I have some big ideas for content over the summer. In the meantime, if you have any thoughts on potential projects, let me know in the comments section.

Executive Order 9066

As I was grading papers, I came across a reference to Executive Order 9066 regarding the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. Then I remembered that Michael Kaminski's Secret History of Star Wars speculated that this might be the origin of Lucas' "Order 66." It certainly seems plausible - or at least more plausible than my theory about Order 66 originating in the massacre of Indonesian communists.

Images of Power Part III: Radical or Conservative Imagery?

Is Anakin Skywalker evil?

Our "Images of Power" mini-series uses Professor Jeffrey A. Hart's "Images of Power in Hollywood Films: The Example of Star Wars" conference paper as a springboard for discussion about the imagery of power in the Star Wars movies. Hart identifies several strains of power-based imagery throughout the Star Wars saga, most of which focus on the conflict between good versus evil. Today, we conclude with: Part III: Radical or Conservative Imagery?

Images of Power Part II: Cold War/GWOT

That's no Death Star, it's a Cold War allegory

Our "Images of Power" mini-series uses Professor Jeffrey A. Hart's "Images of Power in Hollywood Films: The Example of Star Wars" conference paper as a springboard for discussion about the imagery of power in the Star Wars movies. Hart identifies several strains of power-based imagery throughout the Star Wars saga, most of which focus on the conflict between good versus evil. Today, we continue with: Part II: The Cold War/Global War on Terrorism.

Sci-Fi and Kickstarter

Veronica Mars can do it, can't Clone Wars?

Given the surprising success a few days ago of using Kickstarter to fund a new Veronica Mars movie to the tune of $10 million, some sci-fi fans have thought about starting Kickstarter campaigns for canceled shows like Firefly and now The Clone Wars. In an interview, Joss Whedon explains why Kickstarter might not be sufficient for big-budget sci-fi films and shows.

However, Kickstarter does raise another interesting question - one relevant for this blog. Could Kickstarter be used to make filmmakers financially and politically independent of Hollywood? As I discuss in my "Images of Power" series, Hollywood is often remarkably conservative when dealing with political stories (conservative in the traditional sense rather than meaning Republican).

The Prequel Trilogy was notable in that it seemed critical of democracy and presented a morally ambiguous political atmosphere. But most major movies refuse to venture far outside the boundaries of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and West Wing - the idealistic to the cynical. In fact, one of the most prevalent criticisms of modern Hollywood is that it too often attempts to appeal to the least common denominator.

As Whedon said, Kickstarter probably won't be sufficient to fund big-budget sci-fi films anytime soon (although Veronica Mars' $2.5 million in 24 hours is not insignificant). However, for smaller, independent films, Kickstarter might help give filmmakers more creative freedom. There would might fewer concerns about offending the political sensibilities of portions of the audience.

What would that mean in practice? Who knows, but I'd enjoy finding out.

Sequel Speculation: Blast from the past

Not so secret if it's published in a book...

I've already speculated a bit about the role of political dilemmas in the upcoming Sequel Trilogy. In a new article, Michael Kaminski, author of the delightful The Secret History of Star Wars, takes a look at the evolution of George Lucas' thinking about the Sequel Trilogy since the mid-1970s. A few statements stick out for fans of politics.

First, in a 1980 interview, Lucas explicitly stated that the sequels would revolve around "the rebuilding of the Republic." This suggests that the trilogy would not only be set in the aftermath of Return of the Jedi, but also that the political struggle would take center stage. It's not clear if the story treatments Lucas wrote before the sale to Disney includes the rebuilding of the Republic as a focus. However, as EW has already noted, director JJ Abrams is not known for telling stories with a political bent. Moreover, the first of the Sequel Trilogy seems like it will take place 35-45 years after Return of the Jedi, which is probably too long after the Emperor's death for the galaxy to still be rebuilding. While nation-building is a long process, will the Galaxy Far, Far Away still be "rebuilding the Republic" after such a long time?

Images of Power Part I: The Empire (and Palpatine's wardrobe)

How the Emperor got his clothes...

Unfortunately, there isn't much scholarship about Star Wars by political scientists. Over the next couple of weeks, we'll engage with one of the brave few. Our "Images of Power" mini-series will use Professor Jeffrey A. Hart's "Images of Power in Hollywood Films: The Example of Star Wars" conference paper as a springboard for discussion about the imagery of power in the Star Wars movies. Hart identifies several strains of power-based imagery throughout the Star Wars saga, most of which focus on the conflict between good versus evil. Today, we begin with: Part I: The Empire (and Palpatine's wardrobe).

Episode Review: Clone Wars on trial

Republic v. Tano

The Clone Wars Season 5 finale, "The Wrong Jedi", is getting a lot of attention for forcing Ahsoka Tano to make a tough decision about her life. However, the episode is also notable as the first time we've seen a trial in a Star Wars story told by George Lucas himself.* It is a rare glimpse into the practice of law in a Galaxy Far, Far Away.

First, I think the most surprising aspect of the Star Wars judicial system is a clear division between Jedi and secular courts. In fact, we never really find what a Jedi trial would look like. Master Yoda only mentions that he'd prefer Ahsoka be judged according to "Jedi traditions", not "Jedi law". this would seem to suggest that the Jedi judge their own through a less formal, less legalistic process, such as arbitration or customary law.

Indonesia Part III: Was George Lucas inspired by Indonesia?

Indonesia - a source for Star Wars?

If I could ask George Lucas one question, I would ask if Indonesian history influenced the development of the Star Wars saga.

As part of the "Indonesia" series, I'll explore some of the striking similarities between modern Indonesian history and the Star Wars saga. In Part III: Did Indonesia influence Lucas?, I end by asking if it's possible that the similarities I discussed in previous posts are more than just coincidence.